Positive doffing mechanism for automatic winding machines



Aug. 6, 1957 Filed March a, 1955 POSITIVE DOFFING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES M. VAN B. SPRAYBERRY 2,

3 Sheqts-Sheet 1 INVENTOR MARTIN VAN BUREN SPRAYBERRY BYWMiMM ATTORNEYS Aug. 6, 1957 M. VAN B. SPRAYBERRY 2,801,807

POSITIVE DOFFING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES Filed March 8, 1955 -3 Sheets-Sheet 2 I i l i l 2 Lu i 00 f I i J M 11"! A M 1 1 r cu H N I T" I I 0 l I tn 9 M I Y N I MENTOR"- MARTIN VAN BUREN SPRAYBERRY ATTORNEYS Aug- 6, 19 7 M. VAN B. SPRAYBERRY 2,301,807

POSITIVE DOFFING MECHANISM FOR AUTOMATIC WINDING MACHINES,

Filed March 8, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR MARTIN VAN BUREN SPRAYBERRY ATTORNEYS POSITEVE DOFFIWG MECHANISM FOR AUTQMATIC WINDING MACHINES Martin Van Buren Sprayherry, Lanett, Ala, assignor to West Point Manufacturing Company, Shari mat, Aim, a corporation of Alabama Application March 8, 1955, Serial No. 492,907

11 Gaines. (Cl. 242-41) This invention relates to automatic winding machines adapted to wind bobbins and other forms of textile packages with yarn and the like, such machines usually comprising a plurality of traveling winding unit's, means for automatically feeding bobbins or cores thereto at one fixed station, and means for automatically doffing wound packages therefrom at a fixed delivery station.

Dofling of the wound packages. at the delivery station is usually effected by mechanical release of the bobbins whereby they may fall under the influence of gravity, assisted sometimes by mechanical devices adapted to deflect the packages downwardly at or after the moment of release. Frequently, however, a bobbin base remains tightly engaged by friction in the live center of a winding head, and the'wound package, even though released by the dead center, is not dotted by gravity nor by the assisting deflecting device. Each stuck package stops the entire machine, and requires the attention of an operafor to doif the package and restart the machine. Stoppages of this type, as will be evident, greatly reduce the overall efiiciency of the winding machine.

It is a general object of the present invention to improve the efiiciency of automatic winding machines by providing positively acting dofiing mechanism therefor, precluding stoppages due to stuck packages.

It is an object of the present invention to provide in automatic winding machines positively acting mechanism for doffing wound packages by suddenly applying thereto a relatively large striking force, said force being applied at right angles to the package axis and at or adjacent the longitudinal center thereof.

Anther object of the invention is to provide in automatic winding machines simplified and positively acting dofling mechanism actuated solely by the winding units as they approach the delivery station.

Yet another object is to provide dofiing mechanism including a positively acting ejector, and means for adjusting the stroke and striking force of the ejector. Further objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter. i

The invention and the novel features thereof may best be made clear from the following description, and the accompanying drawings in which:

Figure l is a fragmentary diagramamtic plan view of a typical automatic winding machine, illustrating the general organization thereof;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the machine, on enlarged scale, illustrating the doffing mechanism of the present invention and its relationship to the winding machine;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 Patent of Figure 2, showing the dofiing mechanism cocked and -struction.

Referring to the drawings in detail, a typical automatic winding machine comprises the usual oval shaped rails it), fixedly supported by a frame 11. A sprocket 12 mounted on a vertical axis at each end of the machine engages and drives an endless chain 13, to which is affixed aplurality of winding units indicated generally as 14. As is well known, the winding units are suitably and evenly spaced along the chain 13, and travel around the machine therewith. At a stationary feeding station adjacent the winding unit path, an empty bobbin 15 or similar core is automatically fed to each winding unit as it travels therepast, the empty bobbin is engaged by the winding unit, and a yarn strand is presented to the newly engagedbobbin for winding.

Each winding unit includes its own driving motor 16, driving the live center 17 through a gear box 18. A bracket19" extending outwardly from the winding unit supports at its outer end a housing 20 which mounts a freely rotatable dead center 21. The dead center is commonly movable axially a limited distance, and constantly urged towardinward position by spring pressure. A lever 22 engaged to the dead center may extend from housing 20, the lever being adapted when moved to retract the dead center toward the housing, or in outward direction; An empty bobbin is engaged, it will be understood, by positioning its base end adjacent and in line with the live center of the winding unit while the dead center is retracted, and then permitting the dead center to move inwardly into contact with the outer end of the bobbin to force the inner end thereof into firm driving contact with the live center 17. When the empty bobbin has been so engaged, the yarn strand presented thereto for winding, and the winding unit moves away from the feeding station, its motor 16 is energized and yarn is wound on the bobbin at high speed as the unit progresses along its path.

Each bobbin or core is completely wound with yarn in somewhat less than a complete circuit. of the machine, and means are provided to release the wound packages at a fixed delivery station. In the illustrative machine shown, the lever 22 ofeach Winding unit may be depressed. when the winding unit reaches the delivery station, withdrawing the dead center 21 from the wound bobbin and permitting the package to fall by gravity into a suitably arranged delivery chute or receptacle. Dofling of the package, however, does not invariably follow withdrawal of the deadcenter, as the package may hang from the live center, and downward deflection of the package may be ineffective to release it from the live center..

To insure that each wound package is dotled at the delivery station, and does not hangup in its winding unit, the positive action doffing mechanism illustrated in Figures 2 to 4 may be associated with the machine. Referring to these figures, a preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a. transverse frame support 23 extending over the path. of the Winding, units, conveniently fixed toor supported by the machine frame. From the frame support 23 a rigid arm 24' extends horizontally and forwardly, that is in. the direction of movement of the winding units, illustratedby arrow 25. Laterally and outwardly spaced from arm 24,, a parallel arm 26 extends fixedly from the frame support 23 in the same direction. Arm. 26 is relatively elongated, and formed at its outer end into an inwardly turned transverse section 27, which terminates in a relatively short rearwardly extending section 28 (see Figure 2). i

Between arm 26 and the rearwardly extending section 28 supported thereby a transverse rock shaft 29 is rotatably mounted, the rock shaft being disposed thereby above and slightly forward of the delivery station of the machine. From rock shaft 29 a fixed arm 30 extends in generally rearward direction, and to the outer end of arm 30 an ejector 31 is pivotally secured, as at 32, and depends therefrom substantially above the delivery station.

In the illustrative embodiment, the outer end of arm. 30 is bifurcated, and the ejector 31 is mounted between the branches thereof, as best shown in Figure 6. To the outer end of arm 30 is affixed a downwardly extending stop 33, adapted to engage the outer end of the ejector 31 and limit the pivotal movement thereof in one direction to a maximum angularity with respect to the arm 30 of about 90. A fixed rod 34 extends upwardly and rearwardly from the upper end of the ejector, carrying near its outer end a weight 35, which may be engaged and biased downwardly as by spring 36 extending to any suitably positioned frame element 37.

Rearwardly of the rock shaft 29, a transverse shaft 38 extends between arms 24 and 26. Adjacent the outer end thereof, a link 39 extends downwardly from shaft 38, and a similar link 40 extends upwardly from the corresponding end of the rock shaft 29. The outer ends of the links 39 and 40 are joined in driving relationship by a rigid link 41, pivotally secured thereto by pins 42.

Adjacent arm 24, a stop arm 43 extends upwardly and forwardly from shaft 38, said stop arm carrying adjacent its outer end a stop pin 44 which extends over arm 24. Between its ends, shaft 38 mounts a downwardly and forwardly extending actuating arm 45, disposed preferably as shown in Figure 2, in line with the gear boxes 18 of the winding units. A tension spring 46 extends from frame support 23 forwardly to the rigid link 41, and is secured thereto at a suitable position along its length.

The function and operation of the invention will now be described in detail. The normal position of the device is as illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the spring 46 holds the link 41 in extreme rearward position, as limited by the stop pin 44 of stop arm 43 contacting support arm 24. The rearward position of link 41, as will be evident, maintains the ejector arm 30 and ejector 31 in the full down position shown, whereby the lower end 31' of the ejector is in approximate vertical alignment with the axes of the winding units. The ejector weight 35 and spring 36 tend to rotate the ejector in clockwise direction about the pivot 32, maintaining the ejector normally at maximum angularity with respect to arm 30, as permitted by stop 33. The pivotal mounting of ejector 31 and the associated elements are provided to permit the ejector to pivot upwardly and forwardly in counterclockwise direction when engaged and deflected by traveling machine elements (not shown) disposed between successive winding units, without affecting the remainder of the dofling mechanism, and to insure that the ejector is returned to normal operating position against its stop when it is clear of such machine elements. If desired, spring 36 may be eliminated, and the ejector biased toward its stop solely by weight 35, which may be made large enough for such purpose or further removed along rod 34 to lncrease 1ts effective lever arm.

With the dofiing mechanism in normal position, the outer end of actuating arm 45 is disposed in the direct path of the winding units, or specifically in the path of the winding unit gear boxes 18. As each windlng unit approaches the actuating arm, its gear box 18"(F1gu res 3 and 4) engages the arm and deflects it upwardly until the arm rides on the top surface of the gear box, as illustrated in Figure 3. Deflection of the actuating arm rotates shaft 38, lifting the stop arm 43 and rotating link 39 in counterclockwise direction. The motion of link 39 is transmitted through links 41 and 40 to the rock shaft 29, which is rotated thereby in clockwise direction. This rotation of the rock shaft moves the ejector arm 30 and its ejector 31 upwardly to a position whereat the lower end 31' of the ejector is clear of the approaching wound package. In this manner the approach of each winding unit to the delivery station is effective to cock the device, in the course of which spring 46 is extended.

As the winding unit reaches the delivery station, the actuating arm 45 is cleared by the winding unit gear box and permitted to fall to the normal position of Figure 4. Spring 46 is strong enough, desirably, to return the mechanism from cocked to normal position with appreciable force, acting to move link 41 rearwardly until the stop arm pin 44 engages arm 24. Return of the mechanism to normal position involves sudden downward movement of the ejector arm and ejector, in direction normal to the package axis, causing the ejector end 31' to forcibly strike the fully wound package approximately at the center thereof. The sharp blow of the ejector and the inertia behind it positively and unfailingly dislodge the package from the live center of the winding unit, and direct the package into the delivery chute, as indicated byarrow 47 in Figure 4. After a wound package is doffed therefrom, each winding unit proceeds to the feeding station, where a new empty bobbin is supplied thereto.

The plan relationship of the elements when the winding units reach the delivery station is illustrated in Figure 5. As there shown, the lever 22 is deflected by a stationary cam 48 to retract the dead center 21 outwardly from the wound package, whereby the package is to that extent freed. The illustrated central striking position of the ejector, in combination with the sharp blow applied thereby, are most effective in dotting the packages. Relatively gentle downward deflection of the packages is unreliable, and force applied to either end of the packages is not so effective as force applied to the center thereof. The doifing mechanism is both effective and simple, may be readily and economically constructed and applied with common materials and tools, and will operate for extended periods without malfunction or attention, machine stoppages due to lodged packages being entirely eliminated.

Further, the dofiing mechanism may be easily adjusted for optimum operation. Stop arm 43 and its stop pin 44 control the length of stroke of the ejector, which may be varied by adjusting the position of the stop pin with respect to the stop arm, or by adjusting the angular relationship of the stop arm with respect to shaft 38. The striking force of the ejector may be readily varied by suitably changing spring 46, or more simply by adjusting the point of attachment of the spring to the link 41. For such purpose, link 41 may be provided with a plurality of spaced apertures, each adapted for engagement by the forward end of spring 46. As will be evident, the dofiing mechanism of the present invention may be applied to standard winding machines without altering the basic structure or operation thereof.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided by this invention a structure in which the various objects hereinbefore set forth, together with many practical advantages, are successfully achieved. As various possible embodiments may be made of the mechanical features of the above invention, all without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. In an automatic winding machine having winding units carrying yarn packages in a predetermined path, means for positively doffing wound packages at a fixed delivery point in said path comprising ejector means mounted for movement transversely of said path adjacent said delivery point, means actuated by successive moving winding units for withdrawing said ejector from said path on approach of each winding unit to said delivery point, and means actuated by each successive winding unit for s forcibly moving said ejector toward said path when said Winding unit reaches said delivery point.

2. In an automatic winding machine having winding units carrying yarn packages in a predetermined path,

means for positively dofiing wound packages at a fixed delivery point in said path comprising an ejector pivotally mounted on a fixed transverse axis adjacent said path and said delivery point, means actuated by successive moving winding units for pivoting said ejector upwardly away from said path on approach of each winding unit to said delivery point, and means actuated by each successive winding unit for forcibly pivoting said ejector downwardly toward said path when said winding unit reaches said delivery point.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, including stop means limiting the downward movement of said ejector.

4. Apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein said ejector is aligned to strike the wound packages adjacent their centers.

5. In an automatic Winding machine having winding units carrying yarn packages in a predetermined path, means for positively doffing wound packages at a fixed delivery point in said path comprising a transverse rock shaft mounted above said path adjacent said delivery point, a bar extending rearwardly from said rock shaft, an ejector pivotally mounted on the outer end of said bar and extending generally downwardly therefrom, means for rotating said bar and ejector upwardly away from said path on approach of a winding unit to said delivery point, and means for forcibly rotating said bar and ejector downwardly toward said path when said winding unit reaches said delivery point.

6. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, including stop means associated with said bar limiting the rearward position of said ejector relative thereto, and means biasing said ejector into contact with said stop means.

7. Apparatus as defined in claim 5, including means limiting the downward rotation of said bar and ejector.

8. In an automatic winding machine having winding units carrying yarn packages in a predetermined path, means for positively dofiing wound packages at a fixed delivery point in said path comprising a transverse rock shaft mounted above said path adjacent said delivery point, a bar extending rearwardly from said rock shaft, an ejector pivotally mounted on the outer end of said bar and extending generally downwardly therefrom, a mechanical linkage engaged to said rock shaft including an arm disposed for engagement and displacement by each winding unit as the winding unit approaches said delivery point, displacement of said arm being effective to rotate said rock shaft and raise said bar and ejector away from said path, and a spring engaging said linkage and resisting displacement thereof, said spring being effective when said arm clears a winding unit to rotate said rock shaft in opposite direction and forcibly move said bar and ejector downwardly into striking contact with the wound package in said winding unit.

9. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, including stop means limiting the downward movement of said ejector.

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, wherein said ejector is aligned to strike the wound packages adjacent their centers.

11. Apparatus as defined in claim 8, including stop means associated with said bar limiting the rearward position of said ejector relative thereto, and means biasing said ejector into contact with said stop means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

